


From the Chapel Rafters

by Taliax



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Christian Character, Christian Character of Color, Christianity, Friendship, Gen, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Mormonism, Religion, Spiritual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28378386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taliax/pseuds/Taliax
Summary: Chat Noir visits his friends' church.  He didn't expect to hear each of them speak at the pulpit.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 12
Kudos: 39





	From the Chapel Rafters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mozzys_studio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mozzys_studio/gifts).



> Happy birthday Morgan!! I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> For everyone else, this fic involves our very specific church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints headcanons/AUs. We're both part of the church, and parts of this are based on personal experience. This is just for fun and not intended to step on any toes with any other religious headcanons. Comment moderation is on so please be nice if you decide to read haha
> 
> For context: In LDS church meetings, the first Sunday of every month is fast and testimony meeting. Members typically fast 2 meals and donate the money you'd spend on them to the poor. In the testimony meeting anyone in the congregation (members or not) can come up to the pulpit and say what aspects of the religion/God/Jesus/etc. they believe in. Some people do it in the form of personal anecdotes while some are more cut-and-dry about it.  
> Other context that may or may not be clear enough in the fic: Alya and Nora just got baptized and joined the church.

“I’d like to bear my testimony…” Manon paused at the pulpit as Nadia whispered something in her ear. “That I know the church is true…” More whispering. “And I know my mommy loves me, because she just said so. And Jesus is good and is a hero just like Ladybug and Chat Noir! Even though I can’t see Him. And He loves me too.”

Manon grinned, showing off her oversized teeth. Adrien had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from giggling. _That_ would be a headline. “Chat Noir crashes church service, laughs at child’s testimony.” He was lucky that from this spot in the rafters, no one in the congregation should be able to see him. Unless Nadia decided to look up, but she seemed busy enough helping walk Manon through… whatever she was saying.

It was weird. Not what Adrien expected from a church service. Of course, he barely remembered what church was normally like. He hadn’t attended since long before his mother disappeared. Still, he was pretty sure six-year-olds weren’t typically allowed at the pulpit.

Eventually Manon ended with “in the name of Jesus, amen,” and Nadia said a few brief words. Similar sentiments, though a little more coherent. Or it probably would’ve been if Adrien knew much about Jesus. All her words about believing in apostles and prophets… he didn’t really get it. Weren’t they all dead a thousand years ago?

There didn’t seem to be any order as to who went next. Nadia and Manon sat back in a pew; an older man he didn’t recognize went up next. 

Adrien tried to pay attention, even though no one would know one way or another. It just felt disrespectful to ignore anyone pouring out the feelings of their hearts. But he hadn’t snuck into this chapel to listen to strangers.

He’d snuck in because Nino and Alya and Marinette had invited him.

He looked down to where his friends were sitting—Marinette between Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng near the front of the chapel, Nino next to Chris in the back. Where were the adult Lahiffes? At least Alya was sitting next to Nino, with Nora wrangling the twins on her other side. Mr. and Mrs. Cesaire were there too, but they didn’t seem to mind the rowdiness.

Adrien longed to be down there with them, but his father had vetoed that as soon as Nathalie had passed on Adrien’s request. The public couldn’t see Adrien Agreste visiting a Mormon church. 

(The public couldn’t see Adrien Agreste _anywhere_.)

So he came as Chat Noir. But he didn’t want to cause a stir, so he kept out of sight. Even if he couldn’t spend time with his friends, at least he could be a part of something that was clearly important to them.

Alya made the long walk to the pulpit the next time it was vacant. Adrien’s ears perked up. He’d noticed that anyone was allowed to go up, but he hadn’t realized he’d get the pleasure of hearing from his friends.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said with a smile. Her voice was confident through the microphone. “My name’s Alya Cesaire. You might already know me, but this is my first time actually coming up here, so…”

From his aerial point of view, Adrien could see her fists clench and relax behind the pulpit. Was she not as confident as she sounded? He’d never seen Alya at a loss for words. Except maybe the one time that Nino tried to cook her dinner and nearly burned the apartment down.

“Anyway.” She cleared her throat. “I never thought I’d be here. When Marinette first invited me to church, I thought you guys were crazy. No offense.”

The crowd laughed. The sound startled him, since despite a few crying babies, it had been mostly silent.

“I mean, not drinking coffee? It explained how Marinette could never wake up in the morning.” She winked down at her friend, who had buried her face in her hands. “Sorry, I shouldn’t dunk on her so much. Especially since I was the one who got dunked in the end.”

Laughs drifted up again, though Adrien didn’t get it. Was that some kind of pun? Maybe it had to do with the baptism Adrien had been invited to yesterday. Mr. Ramier’s eighty-eighth akumatization had stopped Adrien from sneaking out to the event.

“I wouldn’t be here without her. And without Nino, and Mylene, and everyone else who made me feel welcome here. It’s more than that, though. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t really believe this is real. The Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, the Holy Ghost, families that can last forever—it’s a lot to take in. I’m still learning every day. But hey, if we can get used to being attacked by a butterfly man every week, it kind of puts all the other crazy-sounding stuff in perspective.” She cracked another smile.

Adrien had gone still on his wooden rafter. Families that lasted forever? His heart beat faster at the thought. Mom. Father. Even Felix, and Aunt Amelie, and Uncle Leon…

Tears dripped from his eyes, and he quickly wiped them with a gloved palm before they could land on anyone below. He was missing the rest of Alya’s testimony.

“...believe that God has a plan for me. I believe he won’t give up on us. I believe he’ll help Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat Hawkmoth once and for all. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

A chorus of _amens_ echoed as Alya walked back to her seat. Nora squeezed her tight and gave her a noogie, rumpling both of their crisp black suits.

Adrien’s heart warmed at his friend’s confidence. They _would_ defeat Hawkmoth. And if Alya’s God wanted to give them some help, well, he wouldn’t complain.

Nino squeezed Alya’s hand before standing himself. He took a little too long to reach the pulpit, though—an older woman beat him there. He ended up slumping in the front-right pew as the woman told of how Jesus comforted her through the loss of two of her children to cancer. 

Her words were chilling, yet somehow uplifting. How could anyone keep going through that? Adrien knew how it felt to lose family, and of course he’d kept going, but… he’d never thought that God cared. It was just something that happened. Because Adrien was unlucky. 

(Or because he wasn’t good enough to deserve a mom.)

He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking off those thoughts. Literally. His bell jingled faintly when he shook his head.

Quickly he flattened himself against the wooden beam. Had anyone heard that? No one seemed to be looking up, except…

Marinette. Her brow was furrowed as she scanned the ceiling.

He didn’t breathe. Had his tail flickered where she could see it? Were his shoulders too broad to hide properly? Had bits of blond hair stuck out, catching the light through the windows?

Mrs. Cheng spoke to her, distracting her before she could identify him. Phew. He’d have to be more careful while listening to Nino’s speech.

“Morning, dudes. My name is Nino. Nino Lahiffe. And uh, unlike my girlfriend, you probably don’t know me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. It was weird seeing him without his omnipresent cap, but he looked sharp in his bright blue suit. “I don’t get up very often, but watching Alya and Nora get baptized yesterday… it reminded me how much I really love the gospel, y’know? I really don’t know where I’d be without all this. I almost gave up on the church when my parents did. It was hard to feel like God cared about my family. Things are still rough, but I’m not giving up again. God gave me too many good friends that care about me. Alya and Marinette, and my best bro Adrien, who wanted to make it but couldn’t. And my bro-by-blood Chris, who’s pretty cool too. I want to be a good example to him since our parents won’t.”

In the back row, Chris groaned. It looked like Marinette wasn’t the only one getting called out today.

“I know that God put us all here for a reason. We all need each other… so don’t any of you guys give up, either, alright?”

He smiled, then moved to step down before remembering something.

“Oh. Uh, in the name of Jesus Christ amen.”

“Amen,” Adrien whispered with the congregation.

_ I won’t give up, Nino. No matter how long I have to fight… I’ll keep protecting you. _

By now he wasn’t surprised when Marinette practically ran to the pulpit, nearly tripping up the shallow steps. He bit his lip to keep from laughing—not at her, just because it was so cute and so _her_ and… he probably shouldn’t be thinking about that, either.

“I’d like to bear my testimony,” she said quickly. “I’m Marinette. And um. I don’t usually get up and talk either, partially because I’ll almost break my legs on the stairs, and partially because it’s all so overwhelming.” She swallowed. The crowd didn’t laugh at her joke. Maybe they could feel how serious the rest of her words were. “Don’t let Alya and Nino fool you. I’m not anything special… I mean, unless you count being a child of God, because we’re _all_ special in that way, so… yeah.”

Adrien wish he could offer a hug to soothe her nerves. Though she always seemed more tense when they hugged. Maybe just a shoulder squeeze, then. At least Alya was trying to help by offering a thumbs-up, and Marinette’s parents smiled reassuringly.

“I-I’m just so glad to be here,” Marinette continued, fingers tangling in the folds of her pink skirt. “I’ve been dealing with a lot lately. And it’s all just kind of piled up, and I get so stressed about everything, but being able to pray and turn to the scriptures… it’s given me hope when I don’t think I can make it.”

She gave a watery smile, and Adrien’s breath caught. What was she going through? He knew Marinette was often busy, but this seemed like more than that.

“I know that Heavenly Father loves us. I know that He won’t abandon us, even when we feel like we’re all alone.”

She scanned the congregation, as if she could put that feeling into everyone with the weight of her gaze. 

And then, inexplicably, she looked up.

He resisted the urge to flinch as her eyes locked with his. Oh man, he was never going to hear the end of this. What if she thought he was stalking her? What if he completely disrespected her religion by hanging out in the ceiling of her church?

But after a blinking moment, a grin tugged at her lips.

“You might say… He’s got people in high places looking out for us.”

Adrien stared. And stared. And then had to bite down on the end of his tail to keep from cackling. How had he never known that Marinette liked puns?

Even after she ended her remarks, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Maybe… there really _was_ someone in a high place looking out for him, too.


End file.
